Milan: South Korean speed skater Lee Na-hyun notched a top-10 finish in her Winter Olympic debut in Milan on Monday. Lee finished ninth in the women's 1,000 meters at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games with a time of 1:15.76 at Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee became the first South Korean to crack the top 10 in the women's 1,000m event. Another South Korean competitor, Kim Min-sun, finished 18th with a time of 1:16.24. The gold medal was claimed by Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands, who set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:12.31. Her Dutch teammate, Femke Kok, had moments earlier set the Olympic record with a time of 1:12.59, only to see it surpassed by Leerdam.
The bronze medal went to Miho Takagi of Japan, the 2022 champion, who finished the race with a time of 1:13.95, falling short of her previous Olympic record of 1:13.19. The 500m event, considered the main event for both Kim and Lee, is scheduled for Sunday.